The Denver Preschool Program has reached a significant milestone, beginning its 10th year of making high quality preschool possible for all 4-year-olds in Denver. It does this by providing tuition support to families on a sliding scale based on household income, the quality of the preschool and length of school day.

As a City Council member who was involved in the ballot initiative 10 years ago, I feel a sense of pride seeing the progress that has been made. With DPP’s tuition support, more families are enrolling their children in preschool.

Early education is important to me, as it is the great equalizer in society. Attending preschool helps children be more confident. Children who start their education in preschool learn to ask questions without fear of ridicule.

The opportunity to enroll my own daughter in preschool was critical. Now as an elementary student, she loves school, she loves interacting with other people and she teaches others in her classroom.

Children of color have an uphill battle in society. One of the ways we change that is by starting young and supporting families in teaching their children. DPP’s tuition support has positively affected children of color in my district by helping to level the playing field.

I also support DPP’s efforts to increase the quality of preschools because it provides a greater impact on children.

I encourage everyone to help spread the word about the value of DPP and preschool for all.

Visit www.dpp.org to learn more about DPP and its participating preschools.